1. Field of the Invention
The present invention generally relates to a portable information device and input data processing thereof, and more particularly, it relates to a portable information device capable of receiving key data from an external device such as a mobile phone and processing the input key data. The present Application claims priority from Korean Patent Application No. 2002-0033495, filed on Jun. 15, 2002, which is incorporated in full herein by reference.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Recent development of digital technology has brought a flourish of portable information devices such as mobile phones, Personal Digital Assistants (PDA), organizers and laptop computers. Among these, the PDA has almost become an essential tool for the people of the information era. The PDA is a compact and portable personal terminal that offers functions such as personal information management and communications. In addition to functioning as a mobile phone, the PDA allows the user to download information such as e-mail and stock prices in real-time.
Generally, the PDA is constructed of a compact touch screen, for example, 3 inches×5 inches large, with a separate soft keyboard program executed on the touch screen. In this conventional PDA, the user inputs the keys with a stylus pen. As the displayed keyboard screen is small and input speed is slow, the user has to wait. Also, there is a high possibility of incorrect input.
Further, because the soft keyboard covers the program on display, it is inconvenient for the user. Furthermore, it takes video memory and CPU resources to drive the soft keyboard program during input process.
In an attempt to solve the above-mentioned problems, an external removable keyboard device has been suggested for key input.
However, most removable keyboards in current use are made in a serial method, which does not basically support for Plug and Play (PnP). Accordingly, re-booting is required for the PDA to recognize the keyboard. Besides, the user needs to carry the keyboard which is quite burdensome.